Daisaku Ikeda Quotes

Even if things don't unfold the way you expected, don't be disheartened or give up. One who continues to advance will win in the end.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

it is impossible to build one's own happiness on the unhappiness of others. This perspective is at the heart of Buddhist teachings.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

Life is painful. It has thorns, like the stem of a rose. Culture and art are the roses that bloom on the stem. The flower is yourself, your humanity. Art is the liberation of the humanity inside yourself.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

A great human revolution in just a single individual will help achieve a change in the destiny of a nation and, further, can even enable a change in the destiny of all humankind.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

The institutions of human society treat us as parts of a machine. They assign us ranks and place considerable pressure upon us to fulfill defined roles. We need something to help us restore our lost and distorted humanity. Each of us has feelings that have been suppressed and have built up inside. There is a voiceless cry resting in the depths of our souls, waiting for expression. Art gives the soul's feelings voice and form.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

How aware are we of our own inner life, our spirituality-something so intangible yet so priceless? How much effort do we make to perceive that which is not obvious, which can neither be seen nor heard? I believe the exploration and enrichment of the human spirit is what determines our very humanity. Such enrichment provides an inner compass that can lead civilizations to greatness.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

Reality is harsh. It can be cruel and ugly. Yet no matter how much we grieve over our environment and circumstances nothing will change. What is important is not to be defeated, to forge ahead bravely. If we do this, a path will open before us.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

Leave behind the passive dreaming of a rose-tinted future. The energy of happiness exists in living today with roots sunk firmly in reality's soil.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

Culture is an elevated expression of the inner voice which the different peoples of the Earth have heard in the depths of their being, a voice which conveys the vibrant compassion and wisdom of the cosmic life. For different cultures to engage in interaction is to catalyze each other's souls and foster mutual understanding.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

Lack of wisdom does not make a fool. A fool, in the truest sense, is the man who regards his own misfortunes or those of others as a source of doubt or criticism of the infinite mercy of the Gohonzon.-Josei Toda

~ Daisaku Ikeda

I cannot say this too strongly: Do not compare yourselves to others. Be true to who you are, and continue to learn with all your might.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

It is senseless to blame others or your environment for your miseries. Change begins from the moment you muster the courage to act. When you change, the environment will change. The power to change the world is found nowhere but within our own life.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

Instead of engaging in cutthroat competition, we should strive to create value. In economic terms, this means a transition from a consumer economy - the mad rush for ownership and consumption - to a constructive economy where all human beings can participate in the act of creating lasting worth.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

Become like the sun. If you do so, all darkness will be dispelled. No matter what happens, live confidently with the conviction that you, yourself are the “sun.” Of course, in life there are sunny days and cloudy days. But even on cloudy days, the sun is still there. Even when you are suffering, it is vital that you strive to keep the sun shining brightly in your heart.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

The willingness to challenge hardships taps the power within human beings to transform even a place of tragedy into a stage for fulfilling one's mission.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

A great human revolution in just a single individual will help achieve a change in the destiny of a nation, and further, can even enable a change in the destiny of all humankind.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

The heart is what is important. There is nothing more vulnerable, nothing more corruptible than the human mind; nor is there anything as powerful, steadfast and ennobling.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

Buddhism holds that everything is in constant flux. Thus the question is whether we are to accept change passively and be swept away by it or whether we are to take the lead and create positive changes on our own initiative. While conservatism and self-protection might be likened to winter, night, and death, the spirit of pioneering and attempting to realize ideals evokes images of spring, morning, and birth.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

Rise to the challenges that life presents you. You can't develop genuine character and ability by sidestepping adversity and struggle.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

The determination to win is the better part of winning.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

People can only live fully by helping others to live. When you give life to friends you truly live. Cultures can only realize their further richness by honoring other traditions. And only by respecting natural life can humanity continue to exist.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

Salute to the Smiling Faces of the 21st Century.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

There are some among the so-called elite who are overbearing and arrogant. I want to foster leaders, not elitists.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

It is much more valuable to look for the strength in others. You can gain nothing by criticizing their imperfections.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

There are no greater treasures than the highest human qualities such as compassion, courage and hope. Not even tragic accident or disaster can destroy such treasures of the heart.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

When one takes action for others, one's own suffering is transformed into the energy that can keep one moving forward; a light of hope illuminating a new tomorrow for oneself and others is kindled.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

To communicate the truths of history is an act of hope for the future.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

Ultimately, all human activities have as their goal the realization of happiness. Why, then, have we ended up producing the opposite result? Could the underlying cause be our failure to correctly understand the true nature of happiness?

~ Daisaku Ikeda

With love and patience, nothing is impossible.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

People need to be made conscious of a very simple reality: we have no choice but to share this planet, this small blue sphere floating in the vast reaches of space, with all of our fellow 'passengers.'

~ Daisaku Ikeda

Genuine happiness can only be achieved when we transform our way of life from the unthinking pursuit of pleasure to one committed to enriching our inner lives, when we focus on 'being more' rather than simply having more.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

Women are, in my view, natural peacemakers. As givers and nurturers of life, through their focus on human relationships and their engagement with the demanding work of raising children and protecting family life, they develop a deep sense of empathy that cuts through to underlying human realities.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

A commitment to human rights cannot be fostered simply through the transmission of knowledge. Action and experience play a crucial role in the learning process.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

I firmly believe that the mission of religion in the 21st century must be to contribute concretely to the peaceful coexistence of humankind.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

We are not merely passive pawns of historical forces nor are we victims of the past. We can shape and direct history.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

I have for some time urged that a nuclear abolition summit to mark the effective end of the nuclear era be convened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the 70th anniversary of the bombings of those cities, with the participation of national leaders and representatives of global civil society.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

A healthy vision of the future is not possible without an accurate knowledge of the past.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

Leadership that exploits and sacrifices young people on the altar of its goals is nothing more than raw, demonic power. Genuine leadership is found in ceaseless efforts to foster young people, to pave the way forward for them.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

Where there is an absence of international political leadership, civil society should step in to fill the gap, providing the energy and vision needed to move the world in a new and better direction.

~ Daisaku Ikeda

The effects of human rights education can be dramatic in awakening people to the value and power of their own lives, as shown in the following stories.

~ Daisaku Ikeda